NEWS
Housing Market Bouncing Back
Meagan O'Halloran
More signs that the housing market is beginning to rebound.
October data from "Metro Market Trends" shows in October home sales peaked for the first time all year in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties.
But local realtors say they're not surprised, because the market's been strong for months, with people now able to afford homes they used to only dream of buying.
A beachfront home used to be just that for most homebuyers....a luxury.
Thomas Williams of Pelican Real Estate says that’s all changing here in Northwest Florida.
"A lot of people are coming into the area now that couldn't afford it before and they're going, ‘wow, I can actually get my dream home today that I couldn't afford four years ago. And we are seeing it in record numbers.”
Take this house for example.
Mark Cowart of Edgewater Beach Realty sold it to a couple who were first time homebuyers.
"In April this house came in on the market. It was a $1.2 million dollar home that we were able to give to them for $652,000 and it was an unbelievable value; And for them, it was something they never dreamed could be done.
On top of that, the owners were also able to take advantage of the first-time homebuyer tax credit, just the incentive they needed to seal the deal.
Cowart puts it this way.
" I tell people all the time, if you can buy a hundred dollar bill for $40 dollars or $25-$30 dollars, how many dollar bills would you buy?"
Realtors say this housing market rebound is due largely to the expanding Northwest Florida community.
Williams says it’s jump-started the economy.
"What's going on in our area is exploding. You look at the growth with airport, all the amenities, Pier Park. There's jobs, there's infrastructure. It’s what is needed to build a long standing community."
Himber Orellana moved here from Maryland, something he never thought would be in his future.
"This is a place I’ve always imagined living but never actually thought I could reach it. Now that we're here, its a reality come true.”
Williams thinks it’s just the beginning.
"Going into next year, going into next spring.. I'm really looking for 2010 to be the best year we've had since 2005.”
The first time homebuyer tax credit was supposed to expire December 1st but has been extended until April 30th.
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